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Arena
In the 1960's John Jakes, the best-selling author of The Kent Family Chronicles and The North and South Trilogy and who has been bestowed the title -the godfather of the historical novel,- wrote ARENA under the penname Jay Scotland. The son of a bear-trainer and accustomed to life inside the ring, Cassius willingly bound himself to learn the dangerous game of surviving inside the Circus Maximus, a deadly arena where bloodshed is the highest form of entertainment. But Cassius is swept up in an adventure of love, blood and death that will not set him free until he conquers his final enemy.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
263 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1963
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 21, 2017
Excellent, engaging story. Jakes rules!
September 11, 2012
I'd heard mention of this book and another by Jakes, The Man from Cannae, on a thread here on an historical fiction forum. I bought both together, and tackled The Man from Cannae first. It's somewhat of a wall banger, but I am glad that I read it first, because this book is better. If I'd read them the other way around, I would have been even less pleased at purchasing them.
It doesn't help that Cassius, the story's main protagonist, is one of the least likeable characters I've ever come across. He is vain, arrogant, and self-centred; moreover, he spurns the only female friend he has in favour of a hellion of a priestess. This love interest suffers the most dreadful depredations (as did the main female leads in the other book) but - mild spoiler - when she and Cassius are reunited, he feels little remorse. For a foundling who became an auctoratus, or contracted gladiator, he has an astonishing amount of confidence, holding his own with luminaries such as Nero, Seneca and the prefect of the vigiles, or urban watch. That was unbelievable enough, but the judo chop technique that he uses in the arena to disable big cats such as leopards and lions was the most laughable part of the whole book. I've had to write similar scenes, in which it's very hard to provide a believable account of how a man might survive such an encounter. Leopards can disembowel an animal with their back claws. Lions can break the bones of large antelope with their jaws. When Cassius fights them at close quarters, however, they cannot do this. A chop to their nether regions, and the cats are incapacitated long enough for him to deliver the coup de grace. This device, used twice at least, was totally and utterly implausible.
I'd give this book two stars. Why? The simple answer is that Jakes makes a decent fist of creating the world of Nero's Rome, the decadence, the backstabbing politics, the bloody games and so on. There were far less historical howlers than in The Man from Cannae, which was littered with them. His account of the death of Agrippina, Nero's mother, is well done, as are a number of other scenes. Still, I am glad that I bought this secondhand. I won't be reading any more of Jakes' books.
It doesn't help that Cassius, the story's main protagonist, is one of the least likeable characters I've ever come across. He is vain, arrogant, and self-centred; moreover, he spurns the only female friend he has in favour of a hellion of a priestess. This love interest suffers the most dreadful depredations (as did the main female leads in the other book) but - mild spoiler - when she and Cassius are reunited, he feels little remorse. For a foundling who became an auctoratus, or contracted gladiator, he has an astonishing amount of confidence, holding his own with luminaries such as Nero, Seneca and the prefect of the vigiles, or urban watch. That was unbelievable enough, but the judo chop technique that he uses in the arena to disable big cats such as leopards and lions was the most laughable part of the whole book. I've had to write similar scenes, in which it's very hard to provide a believable account of how a man might survive such an encounter. Leopards can disembowel an animal with their back claws. Lions can break the bones of large antelope with their jaws. When Cassius fights them at close quarters, however, they cannot do this. A chop to their nether regions, and the cats are incapacitated long enough for him to deliver the coup de grace. This device, used twice at least, was totally and utterly implausible.
I'd give this book two stars. Why? The simple answer is that Jakes makes a decent fist of creating the world of Nero's Rome, the decadence, the backstabbing politics, the bloody games and so on. There were far less historical howlers than in The Man from Cannae, which was littered with them. His account of the death of Agrippina, Nero's mother, is well done, as are a number of other scenes. Still, I am glad that I bought this secondhand. I won't be reading any more of Jakes' books.
December 9, 2017
One of my favorite authors! It was fun reading one of his early books!
December 2, 2022
This is an early work of Jake's. It was OK but I didn't care that much for all the violence and sexual implications. Historically accurate and I liked that. Very predicta7ble.
January 26, 2024
Excellent story of Nero's decedent rule.
August 11, 2009
If you are a fan of the political machinations demonstrated on the HBO miniseries "Rome" you might enjoy "The Arena" by John Jakes. It was originally written under the pen name Jay Scotland.
Jakes does a pretty good job of presenting ancient Rome in the time of Nero. The apostle Paul even makes a cameo appearance. Cassius, the lead character, is a gladiator specializing in fighting animals, and he aspires to a higher position in society and strives to obtain it.
Three periods of Cassius' life are described in what could have been something of a trilogy if Jakes has desired to make each story a bit longer.
An enjoyable book, well written, but a bit short of really good.
Jakes does a pretty good job of presenting ancient Rome in the time of Nero. The apostle Paul even makes a cameo appearance. Cassius, the lead character, is a gladiator specializing in fighting animals, and he aspires to a higher position in society and strives to obtain it.
Three periods of Cassius' life are described in what could have been something of a trilogy if Jakes has desired to make each story a bit longer.
An enjoyable book, well written, but a bit short of really good.
September 28, 2014
Not your typical John Jakes book. While still historical fiction and following his concept of integrating his characters into actual historical events, this book is set in Ancient Rome and therefore has a very different feel. I recommend it for anyone who has read and enjoyed John Jakes, but is tired of reading US Historical fiction.
January 20, 2011
Sometimes a labored read but overall typical of John Jakes material.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews